


Never Second Best

by lolahardy



Series: Mistakes Made (...then set straight) [66]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8843992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: Briar Rose, despite being only 4 and a perfectionist, is upset that one of the older, more experienced girls, got the part of Clara in her Ballet School's Christmas recital of The Nutcracker. Instead, her whole class play fairies. Arthur and Eames deal with the resulting temper tantrum.





	

With the holidays coming up, Briar Rose was thrilled that her ballet school was going to put on a recital for The Nutcracker. She very much wanted to be Clara, the lead part and so, with determination, she practiced hard and she played close attention in class.

She often told her parents of how she wanted to be Clara and both encouraged her to try her best.

Arthur tried not to let her get ahead of herself when he saw her looking through her Christmas books and finding the chapters of The Nutcracker and studying Clara’s dress. She would ask if she would have to buy a whole new pair of shoes for Clara and she acted as if the part was already her’s.

“Sweetheart, you haven’t even tried out for the part yet.”

“I know daddy, but I’m the best one in my class!” She beamed confidently.

Even Eames knew better than to let her think the part was her’s just because she excelled in her class.

“My flower, you still have to try out. What if someone else in another class is the best in her’s?”

She looked as if she was thinking about it, but then shrugged and said,

“I’m better.”

While impressed by her confidence, Eames and Arthur still didn’t want her to get ahead of herself.

She practiced and practiced and the day of tryouts, Eames and Arthur waited with their eldest son and their youngest. Edward wished her luck and as they stood with the other parents, they watched the class try out for certain parts. The older girls from the school tried out for Clara, then the various other parts and then Briar Rose tried out for Clara, one of the only younger students to try for the role. She was good, she was quite good for her age in fact and she was assured she would get the role.

When the results for the auditions were posted, Arthur was with her a few days later and Briar Rose was shocked when she found out she wouldn’t be Clara. She and her class, would be playing the sugarplum fairies. She pouted and stomped over to her dad, saying she didn’t get the part. Arthur frowned a little, not because she was disappointed, but because she was furious. Arthur took her hand and they left class with Phillip.

The car ride was silent, Briar Rose pouting, her arms crossed as she glared out the window. She was Arthur’s daughter after all, she was perfectionist, she practiced hard and had been so determined only to be rebuffed. It would be a life lesson for her, that sometimes you don’t get what you want.

When they got home, she was no less angry and Eames didn’t even have to ask as he saw the look on his little girl’s face.

“She’s upset.” Said Arthur.

“I can see that. My flower, it’s all right, when you’re older, you’ll have another chance.”

“But dadda, I was the best! I practiced really hard!”

Arthur looked at his husband and said,

“I spoke to her teacher. It’s not that she wasn’t good, it’s because the older girls have more experience for the role.”

“But I was better than them!” Briar Rose stomped one ballet flat covered foot on the floor.

“My flower, you can’t expect things to come to you just because you’re good. You’re still very young and the other girls in your school have been dancing longer than you, it happens.”

Briar Rose still pouted and crossed her arms again.

“I don’t want to be a fairy. I wanna be Clara!”

“In another year, you can be.” Said Arthur.

She remained unmoved and Eames sighed a little, looking at Arthur. They were both at a loss at what to do since she was unconvinced that it was because of her age that she didn’t get the coveted role. Arthur finally sighed and said,

“Briar Rose, you have to learn to accept that things won’t always go your way. You tried very hard and we’re both proud of you but you didn’t get the part and that’s okay. You can try again next time.”

She uncrossed her arms and pouted and Eames picked her up, holding her. The anger now faded, replaced by disappointment and sadness. She held onto Eames, resting on his shoulder.

“You just need to be a little older is all. You were still a wonderful dancer and you’ll be the best fairy in the recital.” Said Eames.

He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as she asked softly,

“Can I try again next year?”

“Yes, my flower you try again next year.”

She seemed to be comforted by that as she hung onto her father. Arthur smiled and went to check on his other children as Eames made his daughter feel better.


End file.
